By: Vadim Govorov, Marlene Sharp, and Tyler Berman
Welcome to the first out-of-the-box, un-boxing, mind-blowing toy review from the team of Rubber Ninja, Pink Poodle and friends!
Rubber Ninja is also known as Vadim Govorov: Richard Gottlieb mentee (rest in peace, Richard!), commercial diver, toy sculptor, stop motion animation artist, and graphic novelist.
Pink Poodle is also known as Marlene Sharp: Richard Gottlieb colleague (rest in peace, Richard!), proprietor of Pink Poodle Productions, multi-media producer, and frequent GLOBAL TOY NEWS contributor.
This month’s special guest reviewer is Tyler Berman, accomplished autistic voice actor, videographer, and the brain behind TYLER’S FIDGET FINDS YouTube channel.
The September 2025 toy review is Mattel’s Little People, specifically the vintage TV series Mattel Creations Collector sets that hit retailers during Fan-Con season in late July (or thereabouts). Mattel generously shared many boxed samples with non-profit organization Autism in Entertainment and a few of its members to mark the San Diego Comic-Con Film Fest unveiling of AIE’s short documentary FIGHTING WITH AUTISM: JORGE GUTIERREZ VISITS SPECTRUM LABORATORY.
These tiny molded marvels are studies in master craftsmanship, vibrant colorization, humor, pop culture, and package design. The I LOVE LUCY tribute is appropriately rendered in black-and-white and positioned in a cardboard and clear plastic, old school TV set that doubles as a single tableau display case. To free Desi and Lucy from their confines seems a violation of good taste; much of the artistry lies in the clever retro presentation. However, the couple is so squeezably cute that it might be impossible for a person to resist the siren unboxing song. The same applies to the WILL & GRACE, BIG BANG THEORY, IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA, and SAVED BY THE BELL iterations, respectively.
In a previous GLOBAL TOY NEWS publication, celebrity poodle/Bichon Frise’ Blanche DuBois Sharp opines definitively re: the I LOVE LUCY and WILL & GRACE Little People likenesses: When are there going to be chewables of these? Until I can rip into new stuff (food, toys, kittens) made for furry kids like me, I plan to have my way with Mama’s little cutie doo-dads. Did you know that Lucy and Ricky Ricardo are gray-ish and shut up into an oldie-looking TV? It sure was fun to paw open their living room! Little Grace and itsy bitsy Karen are my new besties, because I liberated them from their cardboard enclosure, and they do whatever my nose pushes them to do. Mama won’t be happy, but I sure am! Now, Mattel, get busy with your proper line of petware. Thank you!
Note that Blanche is Marlene Sharp’s canine daughter, plus official muse and Chief Dog-officer of Pink Poodle Productions. She is not on the autism spectrum herself, but she is a fierce ally of the community. Exceptionally fierce, in fact, for a 7-pound ball of white fluff . . .
Tyler Berman turns his gaze and his fidget-finding fingers toward Mattel’s BIG BANG THEORY Little People homage. Enjoy his corresponding video critique here:
For a comprehensive look at Mattel Creations and to shop accordingly, please visit https://creations.mattel.com.
If you would like your toy to be featured in our Neurodivergent Voice in Play – Toy Review series, please contact Marlene Sharpe. marlene@pinkpoodleproductions.com
